Hudibras by Samuel Butler

HUDIBRAS BY SAMUEL BUTLER

Transcriber's Notes:

Credits: This e-text was scanned, proofed and edited with a 

glossary and translations from the Latin by Donal O' Danachair. 

(kodak_seaside@hotmail.com). The text is that of an edition 

published in London, 1805. This e-text is hereby placed in the 

public domain.

Spelling and punctuation: These are the same as in the book as 

far as possible. The AE and OE digraphs have been transcribed 

as two letters. Greek words have been transliterated.

Notes: The notes are identified by letters in the text, thus: <a>. 

In a few cases the note has no text reference: these are indicated <>.

Layout: the line numbers all end in col. 65. View this e-text in a 

monospaced font such as Courier and they will all line up in the 

right margin.

Latin: All translations are by the transcriber. In the notes, they 

immediately follow the Latin text in [square brackets]. 

Translations of Latin phrases in the poem are in the glossary. 

Disclaimer: these translations are probably very inaccurate - I 

am no great Latin scholar.

HUDIBRAS 

IN 

THREE PARTS

WRITTEN IN

THE TIME OF THE LATE WARS 

--------------------- 

BY SAMUEL BUTLER, ESQ. 

--------------------- 

WITH 

ANNOTATIONS 

AND 

AN INDEX 

------

TO THE READER.

Poeta nascitur non fit, [poets are born, not made] is a sentence 

of as great truth as antiquity; it being most certain, that all the 

acquired learning imaginable is insufficient to compleat a poet, 

without a natural genius and propensity to so noble and sublime 

an art. And we may, without offence, observe, that many very 

learned men, who have been ambitious to be thought poets, 

have only rendered themselves obnoxious to that satyrical 

inspiration our Author wittily invokes:

Which made them, though it were in spight 

Of nature and their stars, to write.

On the one side some who have had very little human learning, 

but were endued with a large share of natural wit and parts, 

have become the most celebrated (Shakespear, D'Avenant, &c.) 

poets of the age they lived in. But, as these last are, "Rarae aves 

in terris," so, when the muses have not disdained the assistances 

of other arts and sciences, we are then blessed with those lasting 

monuments of wit and learning, which may justly claim a kind 

of eternity upon earth. And our author, had his modesty 

permitted him, might, with Horace, have said,

Exegi monumentum aere perennius: 

[I have raised a memorial more lasting than bronze]

Or, with Ovid,

Jamque opus exegi, quod nec Jovis ira, nec ignis, 

Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas. 

[For I have raised a work which neither the rage of Jupiter, 

Nor fire, nor iron, nor consuming age can destroy.]

The Author of this celebrated Poem was of this his last 

composition: for although he had not the happiness of an 

academical education, as some affirm, if may be perceived, 

throughout his whole Poem, that he had read much, and was 

very well accomplished in the most useful parts of human 

learning.

Rapin (in his reflections) speaking of the necessary qualities 

belonging to a poet, tells us, he must have a genius 

extraordinary; great natural gifts; a wit just, fruitful, piercing, 

solid, and universal; an understanding clear and distinct; an 

imagination neat and pleasant; an elevation of soul, that 

depends not only on art or study, but is purely the gift of 

heaven, which must be sustained by a lively sense and vivacity; 

judgment to consider wisely of things, and vivacity for the 

beautiful expression of them, &c.

Now, how justly this character is due to our Author, we leave to 

the impartial reader, and those of nicer judgment, who had the 

happiness to be more intimately acquainted with him.

The reputation of this incomparable Poem is so thoroughly 

established in the world, that it would be superfluous, if not 

impertinent, to endeavour any panegyric upon it. King Charles 

II. whom the judicious part of mankind will readily 

acknowledge to be a sovereign judge of wit, was so great an 

admirer of it, that he would often pleasantly quote it in his 

conversation. However, since most men have a curiosity to have